US expresses condolences over Ethiopian airline crash

MOSCOW, Mar 11 : The US Department of State expressed condolences in connection with the Sunday crash of the Boeing 737 aircraft in Ethiopia.

"The U.S. Department of State extends our deepest condolences to the families and friends of those killed in the tragic crash of Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302. We can confirm that at least eight U.S. citizens were among the victims," Department of State deputy spokesperson Robert Palladino said in a Sunday statement. He added that US embassies in Addis Ababa and Nairobi were cooperating with the Ethiopian authorities to offer assistance in connection with the tragedy.

"Our embassies in Addis Ababa and Nairobi, in coordination with the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, are working with the Government of Ethiopia and Ethiopian Airlines to offer all possible assistance. Our teams in Addis Ababa, Nairobi, and Washington, DC are working tirelessly to provide all appropriate consular assistance to families of the victims at this difficult time," Palladino said.

In turn, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also offered his condolences to those affected by the crash in Ethiopia.

"My condolences to the families of the Americans and all others affected by the tragic crash of Ethiopian Airlines. @USEmbassyAddis and @USEmbassyKenya are working tirelessly to offer all possible assistance," Pompeo wrote on Twitter.

The contact with the plane, which was heading to the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, was lost just six minutes after Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302 took off from Addis Ababa at 05:38 GMT. The site of the crash is located near the town of Bishoftu, some 30 miles to the southeast of the Ethiopian capital. A total of 149 passengers from 35 countries and eight crew members were on board the plane. According to the carrier, no one has survived the crash. (UNI-SPUTNIK)